HARTFORD >> Sec. of the State Denise Merrill randomly selected voting precincts to have election results audited following the recent presidential primary, according to a release Thursday.

“Ten percent of the polling places that use optical scan machines are subject to the audit, as prescribed by Connecticut General Statutes 9-320f. Those hand counted ballots will be matched against vote totals from optical scan machines,” the release noted.

“There is no acceptable margin for error in an election or primary,” Merrill said, also in the release. “The public can be guaranteed that officials are taking every possible step to ensure the integrity of the vote and promote confidence in the process. We have trust in the machines and the results. However, we also require that these results be verified.”

Merrill’s release also noted that 723 polling places used optical scan machines on April 26 so she picked 73 primary and 10 alternate locations.

The results will be analyzed by the University of Connecticut, Merrill’s office and the State Elections Enforcement Commission, after which they will be made available to the public.